Monday, 3 December 2012

Mental health officer struck off for dating patient

CARL ABERNETHY, who worked at Edinburgh Royal Hospital, was struck off after being caught dating a woman who had been sectioned.

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (ERI)

A MENTAL health officer has been struck off for going on dates with a patient who had been sectioned.
But when Carl Abernethy, 52, was caught, he told his bosses: “I’ve been played.”
He was put in charge of the woman at Edinburgh Royal Hospital last year after she was found in the street naked with a duvet wrapped around her.
The relationship came to light after her dad told her psychiatrist he was worried about her “romantic friendship” with Abernethy, a political campaigner involved with the Scottish Palestinian freedom movement.
A Scottish Social Services Council inquiry in Dundee heard he had met the woman for coffee and drinks.
They also stayed overnight at each other’s homes but denied having sex.
Abernethy, who was sacked by Edinburgh City Council, emailed his bosses: “We had a close bond because of shared interests. But I’ve been played in a way. I think she was using me to get to her father.”